A point spread is the margin a favorite has to win by, or an underdog can lose within, for a bet to cash. It is the number a sportsbook uses to turn a lopsided game into a roughly even bet. Instead of picking who wins, you bet on the margin: the favorite (shown with a minus, like -6) has to win by more than the number, and the underdog (shown with a plus, like +6) covers by losing by fewer than the number or by winning outright.
Favorite, underdog, cover, and push
Two teams, one number. The favorite is the team expected to win, marked with a minus sign. The underdog is the team expected to lose, marked with a plus sign. Covering the spread means beating the number: a -6 favorite covers by winning by 7 or more, and a +6 underdog covers by staying within 5 points or winning the game. The bigger the number, the wider the gap the oddsmakers expect between the two sides.
A push happens when the final margin lands exactly on a whole-number spread. If a team is -6 and wins by exactly 6, the bet pushes and your stake comes back, no win and no loss. That is why so many spreads carry a half point, which is the next thing to understand.
Reading the number: the sign, the hook, the half point
Every spread has a sign and often a half point. The sign tells you the side: minus is the favorite laying points, plus is the underdog getting points. The half point, like -6.5 or +3.5, is called the hook. It removes any chance of a push, so the bet is always a clean win or loss.
Whole numbers can push; half points cannot. A -3 favorite pushes if it wins by exactly 3. Move that line to -3.5 and the same 3-point win becomes a loss, while -2.5 turns it into a cover. On close games the hook is the difference between getting your money back, winning, and losing, which is why serious bettors care so much about it. You can see every point spread explained, with the exact payout and break-even rate for each number, on our point spread pages.
How to read any point spread
| Part of the line | What it means | You win if |
|---|---|---|
| -X (minus) | The favorite, giving up points | It wins by more than X |
| +X (plus) | The underdog, getting points | It loses by fewer than X, or wins outright |
| The .5 (the hook) | Removes the tie | The result is always a clean win or loss, never a push |
| -110 (the price) | The vig, or juice | You risk $110 to win $100 on either side |
The price: -110 juice and what it pays
A spread is quoted next to a price, usually written as -6 (-110). The -6 is the spread; the -110 is the odds, the standard juice the book charges on each side. At -110 you risk $110 to win $100. That price implies you need to win about 52.4 percent of your spread bets just to break even, and the gap between 50 percent and 52.4 percent is the house edge. Run any number through our betting calculator to see the exact payout, or strip the juice with a no-vig calculator to find the fair line underneath.
Key numbers: why 3 and 7 matter
Not every final margin is equally common. In the NFL, games are scored in threes (field goals) and sevens (touchdowns with the extra point), so certain margins happen far more often than others. 3 is the most common margin of victory in pro football, and 7 is close behind. Those are the key numbers. Because so many games land on them, the half point around a key number is worth more than the half point anywhere else. -3 is an NFL key number, and buying or selling the hook around it can flip a large share of outcomes. A -7 spread sits on the next most common margin. On the underdog side, a +1.5 underdog only needs to lose by a single point or win outright, so it dodges the push entirely.
Point spreads by sport
The spread means the same thing in every sport, but the numbers behave differently depending on how each game is scored. Here is where to go deeper for the three most-bet sports:
- Football: scoring in threes and sevens makes 3 and 7 real key numbers, and the half point around a field goal is the most valuable in betting. Read what the spread means in football.
- Basketball: high-scoring games with no single dominant margin, so there are no strong key numbers and lines run larger. Read what the spread means in basketball.
- Soccer: low scoring changes everything, and the point spread becomes the Asian handicap, where a 0.5 line removes the draw. Read what a 0.5 spread means in soccer.
Get a better number than -110
The price attached to a spread is where the house makes its money. On BettorEdge you take a spread against another bettor instead of a sportsbook, so you can get a better price than the standard -110 and keep more of every cover. Verify your ID and sign up for up to $100 to start, no deposit needed. Same spread, sharper number, no built-in house edge.
Point spread FAQ
What does spread mean in betting?
The spread is a handicap that sets how much the favorite must win by, or the underdog can lose within, for the bet to cash. It levels a mismatched game so both sides are priced close to even, usually around -110.
What does it mean to cover the spread?
Covering means beating the number. A -7 favorite covers by winning by 8 or more. A +7 underdog covers by losing by 6 or fewer, or by winning the game outright.
What does a plus or minus spread mean?
A minus sign marks the favorite, which is laying points and must win by more than the number. A plus sign marks the underdog, which is getting points and can lose by fewer than the number, or win, and still cover.
What is the hook in a point spread?
The hook is the half point on a spread, like -3.5 or +6.5. It removes any chance of a push, so the bet always settles as a clean win or loss. On whole-number spreads the game can land exactly on the number and push instead.
Why do point spreads have odds like -110?
The -110 is the juice, or vig, the price you pay to bet either side. At -110 you risk $110 to win $100, which implies a break-even win rate of about 52.4 percent. That built-in margin is how a sportsbook profits over time.
What are key numbers in point spread betting?
Key numbers are the margins that occur most often. In football those are 3 and 7, because of how field goals and touchdowns score. The half point around a key number carries the most value, which is why bettors shop hard for it.
The bottom line
A point spread is just a margin: how much the favorite must win by, or the underdog can lose within. Read the sign for the side, watch the hook for the push, respect the key numbers in football, and always check the price, because -110 is the house edge working against you. Get the same spread at a sharper number by betting it peer-to-peer on BettorEdge.
Take the spread at a fairer number.
Standard -110 juice is the house tax on every spread. On BettorEdge you set your line against other bettors and keep more of every win.